ROLLS-ROYCE Ghost Series II Review

Introduced at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II is finally getting ready to hit the road, so we headed to Dallas, Texas to see how Rolls-Royce does “entry level.” Our first taste of the daylong test drive came as we were ushered into the back seat of the updated Ghost… past all of the people waiting curbside at DFW for family, friends or taxis to pick them up.

As the driver was giving us a brief rundown of how to use all of the rear-seat technology, we couldn’t help but notice how many people were giving the car the attention it deserves as they undoubtedly wondered which celebrity, sports star or billionaire just walked past them in the airport wearing blue jeans and a sport coat.

This widely varying clientele attracted by Rolls-Royce is perhaps the single most intriguing element of the brand. During a pre-drive presentation, we were given a better understanding of who buys a Rolls-Royce. For starters, they are obviously very wealthy and they tend to be self-starting entrepreneurs looking for more of a lifestyle accessory than a mode of transportation.

These are the same people that commission $75,000 Louis Vuitton handbags, and rather than debating on which car to buy, Rolls-Royce says the typical purchase competitors for its cars are boats, airplanes and even art. If you’ve ever uttered the words “you can’t always get what you want” (with or without the Rolling Stones tune) to yourself, then there’s probably a very good chance you’re not in the target market. Because nobody needs a Rolls-Royce and for those who truly want one, he or she is already wealthy enough that not getting exactly what they want is completely out of the question.

So, while every inch of this car exudes a timeless beauty and craftsmanship, the interior is what really defines it as a Rolls-Royce. As we were being shuttled from the airport to our awaiting hotel, the experience began by slinking through coach doors (just don’t call them suicide doors).

During our 20-minutes commute we were able to kick back and enjoy a video on the rear screen (both rear screens can operate independently of each other) while surfing the Internet on a tablet. The latter was made easier thanks to rear work trays that are the perfect size to accommodate a tablet.

Not that the Series I Ghost was lacking in the comfort department, but Rolls-Royce redesigned the front and rear seats for the 2015 model year to improve comfort and safety. The driver and front passenger get power-extendable thigh support, while the rear seats have been optimized with a great focus on the split-seating configuration making more room for the outboard seats. That being said, the massive center console can still be folded up out of the way to reveal a center seating position, but it almost seems blasphemous to this car to cram three passengers abreast in the back seat.

Whether it’s a shuttle to the airport or to the opera, the rear seat of the Rolls-Royce Ghost is the place to be, and this was intensified by a $54,250 “Feature Selection 2” package that combined individual rear seats, lamb’s wool floor mats, rear theater configuration and all headrests monogramed with a Rolls-Royce logo with modern tech like the Lane Departure Warning, Heads-Up Display, Night Vision and Active Cruise Control.

Speaking of tech, the newly designed Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller makes it even easier to control all aspects of the display screen, and it does so with a gorgeous crystal cover rotary dial displaying the Spirit of Ecstasy logo. There is a matching pair of these controllers in the front and rear seats, and the inner portion of the dial has a touchpad that facilitates functions similar to a smartphone such as swiping, pinching to zoom and the ability to input information with handwritten letters. Since Rolls-Royce’s top markets are the U.S., China, Europe and the Middle East (in that order), the touchpad is able to recognize English, Mandarin and Arabic characters.

As high-tech as this controller is, there are numerous simple and elegant touches throughout the cabin. Perhaps the coolest feature inside the Ghost is the organ-style HVAC vent pull design, but we can’t forget to mention the dual umbrellas tucked into each front door, which can also be personalized to the same extent as the car. Accenting the soft leather and metallic trim inside this Ghost, our tester was also fitted with plenty of piano black accents. Having checked out the matched wood trim adorning the cabins of other Ghosts at this event, the piano black seemed almost disappointing to a certain degree.

No matter how often you see a Rolls-Royce Ghost (which probably isn’t all that common for most), it is always a little stunning to realize just how big this car is in person. Even though the Ghost is often referred to as the “Baby Rolls,” it is actually more like a supersized BMW 7 Series. For 2015, Rolls-Royce managed to update the styling of the 5-year-old to freshen it up a little, but it kept the changes minimal so as to not alienate current owners.

Everything in front of the A-pillar has been completely redesigned with the biggest difference being the restyled headlights, which acts to create a little added visual distinction between the Ghost and the Phantom. As many Chrysler 300 sedans that you see dressed up as Rolls-Royces, it’s a comical coincidence that the headlights of the Ghost Series II now appear to mimic the Chrysler with a similar scalloped shape, but the full LED headlights are encompassed by a continuous LED daytime running light that makes the new Ghost totally unmistakable for any other car on the road.

Removing all doubt as to what type of vehicle this is, the Ghost continues to be instantly recognizable thanks to Rolls-Royce’s signature Parthenon grille. Although it’s hard to discern any differences in the grille per say, Rolls-Royce says that the grille surround is now 13 mm taller making the car look wider and bigger, and the rest of the 2015 MY changes up front are equally subtle. More than the restyled headlights or the iconic grille, the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament is really what draws the eye at the front end of the Ghost.

Arguably the crown jewel of the exterior design, the retractable hood ornament is obviously an easy target for thieves, so Rolls-Royce has designed the car to automatically retract the Spirit of Ecstasy and sound the alarm if any attempt to dislodge her is detected. For 2015, the Ghost’s styling update includes a new “vapor trail” that runs down the center of the hood behind the classic hood ornament to create an extra element of perceived motion even when the car is standing still. This theme is mimicked with a “waft line” behind the front wheels that has a more aggressive forward rake.

From the other cars that were available to drive, this particular Ghost we drove seemed about as plebeian as this Rolls-Royce could possibly get with a monochromatic silver paint job that costs about as much as a good used car ($10,000). Like the interior trim pieces, it was interesting to get an idea of what type of blank slate with which Rolls-Royce provides its customers, and while the color combinations were remarkable, the high quality paint finish with a deep luster and absolutely no orange peel was downright amazing.

As for the rest of the 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost, the only other major addition is the new 21-inch wheel option ($10,140 for the fully polished alloy wheels our tester was fitted with), but regardless of which wheels customers go for, they all come with the center caps that always display the Rolls-Royce logo in the proper, upright position.

Positioned just behind the iconic grille and the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament is a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V-12 that pumps out an astounding 563 hp and 575 lb-ft (780 Nm) of torque. Thanks to this engine, the 2015 is able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 4.8 seconds (0-100 km/h in 5.0 seconds) to go with a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h), and that despite a curb weight of 5,490 pounds (2,490 kg), which is almost as much as a Chevrolet Suburban. In our day spent behind the wheel of the Ghost, it was impossible to get the power reserve meter to get anything under 10 percent, which means there was still a little bit left in this car’s tank.

With all that power and speed on tap, the Ghost is surprisingly easy to drive. For the most part, this is thanks to the trick ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission that was recently introduced in the Wraith. Using what the brand calls Satellite Aided Transmission, this transmission is able to use satellite data to predict upcoming road conditions.

One instance this would come in useful is along roads with successive turns. While most automatic transmissions will upshift and downshift more frequently on such roads, the Ghost can hold a gear longer, which as a result creates a smoother ride by reducing shifts by 30 percent. It was impossible to notice the GPS-linked transmission doing its thing, but that probably just shows how transparent this technology is.

In a car that is designed to be enjoyed both as a driver and a chauffeured passenger, Rolls-Royce somehow managed to give the 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost a character that balances a smooth, quiet ride with a responsive, engaging driving dynamic.

To accomplish this, the Ghost’s suspension was retuned with updated struts, dampers and steering gear, which all help the Ghost absorb road imperfections and rumble strips with ease, but the Ghost also impressively agile for a girl of her size. That’s not to say that the new Ghost feels like a sports car, but the perfectly weighted steering and the revised suspension do wonders to mask about 1,000 pounds of curb weight in spirited driving.

While there is plenty to love about driving the Ghost Series II, the fun part wasn’t even driving at high speeds. Sure that was truly fun, but the most unique experience about driving the Ghost was operating it at slower speeds so we could see the reactions from pedestrians and fellow motorists alike. As if seeing a single Rolls-Royce wasn’t already enough to garner attention from the public, we were traveling in a convoy of at least eight Ghosts, which meant that passersby were witnessing a line of cars stretching almost an entire city block worth at least $2.4 million (a conservative estimate).

Just like everything in life, something as exquisite as a Rolls-Royce is going to cost you dearly. An empty canvas of a 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost has a starting MSRP of $286,750 for the standard wheelbase and $319,400 for the Ghost Extended Wheelbase (EWB), which doesn’t even take into account the $2,500 destination and $2,100 gas guzzler tax. That's in the US. In Europe, prices for the standard model start at €304,352 while the extended wheelbase model will ask €350,642 (VAT included).

Our this tester loaded on even more equipment bringing the asking price up to $365,250. For some reason, this price almost seems like a relative bargain when you consider that it takes Rolls-Royce’s Goodwood team around 450 hours to hand-craft a single Ghost.

Of course, like any Rolls-Royce offering, the sky is the limit when it comes to pricing when you start to factor in custom colors, trims and cabin materials. Through its Bespoke personalization program, the automaker will build a vehicle as the customers see fit… within the boundaries of safety and government regulations. For instance, if a customer wanted to use a seating material that Rolls-Royce doesn’t offer (say some sort of special fabric), the automaker has no problem installing it in the car, but the fabric needs to undergo proper crash safety procedures, which would add a significant cost (around $70,000) to the customer’s bill.

What this proves though is that while Rolls-Royce assures that its cars will remain rare, it doesn’t go about so with the same arrogance as some other top-tier automakers… cough, cough Ferrari. “Who are we to be the taste police,” one Rolls-Royce rep said during the presentation.

Such a level of customer commitment and one-off vehicle production has definitely paid off for Rolls-Royce. Since the introduction of the Ghost in 2009, Rolls-Royce sales have quadrupled, and while Rolls-Royce isn’t one to chase volume, it has given the automaker enough cash and confidence to introduce recent new models like the Wraith.

As for the 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II, Rolls-Royce says that its vehicle “transcends a motor car,” and that is obviously the case with its updated entry-level sedan as it offers the luxuries of a private jet in a vehicle that weighs as much as a full-size SUV and has the straight-line acceleration of a sports car. And all of this comes at a price that is about the same as an average home in the U.S.